When Do You Start Letter Formation?

[Guest]

Hi all

When do you begin letter formation with your reception children. Last year we introduced it as we learnt the sound of the letter wit jolly phonic. We did it with paint, in sand, shaving foam etc.. In the last term we began to do it more 'formally' with pencil and paper. However this ear year 1 teachers have had concerns that the children we sent up had very poor handwriting. They are therefore wanting us to begin more formal letter formation now.

What do you think? What do you do?

 

Lola

[Guest]

I'm getting the sam message and I keep trying to talk about all the things they can do without going to tiny letter formation sheets. But year 1 staff do want the writing to be better. I think I need to work with Y1 to look at what they are planning.

 

Jo

[leapfrog]

Hello!

 

My school use a pre cursive joined from the start style of writing.

 

Last year we did lots of fine motor /gross motor play in the Autumn term. We do Write Dance maybe 4 days each week for a short session of some kind and patterning twice a week - dots/wavy lines/ horizontal/vertical/zig zags/ diagonal etc. on adjusted Jolly phonics pics but no formal handwriting until January. We held a workshop to explain & demonste scheme to parents and got the local preschool on side too.

 

In January we began by using whiteboards and blackboards to form the letters - photos as evidence - and just practice for 10 mins first thing the formation of the lettter - not worrying about the size or tidyness etc. Then once we'd had a go at this we used simple sheets to continue this. We did writing fornames in this style 1:1 in child led activities times. Tracing first, then copying until they had the idea. Write Dance continues - but obviously less often - due to time constraints.

 

You get less volume at the end of R, but style is good. The children did really well, but those who have been taught to write elsewhere found it harder to convert.

 

Hope this helps.